During a spring break tour in Orlando, you see green turf and yellow turf. The green turf is most likely which species?

During a spring break tour in Orlando, you see green turf and yellow turf. The green turf is most likely which species?

• A. Ryegrass
• B. Kentucky Bluegrass
• C. Bermudagrass
• D. Tall Fescue

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how seasonal dormancy and overseeding affect turf color in a warm climate like Orlando. In Florida, warm-season grasses such as bermudagrass are common, but they go dormant and turn yellow when temperatures drop. To keep color in winter and early spring, golf courses and lawns often overseed with a cool-season grass—most commonly ryegrass—which stays green through those cooler months. So, if you’re seeing a mix of green and yellow on the tour, the green patches are the overseeded ryegrass, while the yellow areas are bermudagrass still in dormancy. That’s why the green turf is most likely ryegrass. Cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass or tall fescue don’t hold up as well in Florida’s heat, and bermudagrass would not typically be the green patch during this window.

The main idea here is how seasonal dormancy and overseeding affect turf color in a warm climate like Orlando. In Florida, warm-season grasses such as bermudagrass are common, but they go dormant and turn yellow when temperatures drop. To keep color in winter and early spring, golf courses and lawns often overseed with a cool-season grass—most commonly ryegrass—which stays green through those cooler months. So, if you’re seeing a mix of green and yellow on the tour, the green patches are the overseeded ryegrass, while the yellow areas are bermudagrass still in dormancy. That’s why the green turf is most likely ryegrass. Cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass or tall fescue don’t hold up as well in Florida’s heat, and bermudagrass would not typically be the green patch during this window.